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Data Center Services

April 17, 2012

NGD Remains One Step Ahead with its Data Center Services Offerings

By Carrie Schmelkin

TMCnet Web Editor

When it comes to finding ways to cut costs in the data center, every approach is given careful thought these days because, simply put, data center services are quickly becoming extremely cost prohibitive. From cooling to security to compliance, there are a multitude of factors that data center managers must consider and each comes with a pretty hefty price tag (News - Alert).

Consequently, many IT managers have started giving serious thought to data center outsourcing, a popular approach in which mundane data center tasks are handed over to a data center services provider so that managers can enjoy benefits such as reduced floor space, security advantages and reduced energy consumption. In fact, moving your data center tasks off site has never been easier, especially in Europe where Next Generation Data (NGD) stands ready to help you outsource your data center needs.

NGD Europe, located just outside Newport in South Wales, opened its doors in March 2010 for its first tenants British Telecom and Logica (News - Alert). With 750,000 square feet of floor space, or enough to house about 19,000 server racks, NGD Europe has emerged as the fourth largest data center in the world and tops the list in size for facilities based in Europe.

“Immediately following the London bombings on 7/7, my business partner Simon Taylor (chairman of NGD) and I identified a gap in the market for better serving the growing number of global organizations requiring modern, highly scalable outsourced data center facilities in Europe,” Nick Razey, CEO of NGD, said in a recent article. “Organizations were looking for world-class facilities in more secure locations than the traditional options typically clustered in and around large metro areas such as London. We thought, ‘Why subject your data center operations to so much risk when attractive, rural locations are available – offering the same, or better, space, power, security and cooling requirements, but at much lower costs.’”

“We took cues from what was happening in the American market, as companies were abandoning the ‘server hugger’ mentality of the past, leaving their city-based data centers for rural locations,” he added. “The Wales location was ideally situated – offering the advantages of a low-risk, remote location that’s within a two-hour drive from London.”

Not only can NGD provide security, because of its remote location, but the data center services provider can also help clients enjoy “extreme real estate” and energy costs savings when compared to NGD’s London and North American counterparts. This is because leasing costs at NGD Europe are half the price of those at London, and U.S facilities and NGD has an on-site power substation that connects directly to the national grid which helps clients enjoy energy savings, according to company officials.

These features have certainly attracted a number of customers to the NGD facility, including large, Web-based businesses in the United States who are in search of primary and colocation facilities in Europe, Razey said. Further, the company attracts countless companies who are looking to go green with their data centers and deploy the latest avant-garde technologies.

NGD fits like a glove for these companies, according to officials, as the data center services provider has a commitment to green data center practices as it is the first in Europe to receive all of its energy from renewable sources. The company is 100 percent renewable energy based.

“For NGD, finding ways to remove heat and save energy is a top priority for the company and our tenants,” Razey said. “It’s important that our facility meet all environmental certifications and rating systems like the International Organization for Standards ISO 14000 family that address various aspects of environmental management and BREEAM, the world’s leading design and assessment method for sustainable buildings. NGD achieved the ISO 14001 environmental management standard in early 2010 and has achieved a BREEAM ration of ‘Very Good.’”

For more about NGD and how it is distinguishing itself in the marketplace, click here.